Transgender parents Hannah and Jake Graf star in documentary about 'miracle' baby

A Welsh former Army officer and her husband have featured in an intimate documentary about becoming transgender parents to their 'modern miracle' baby.

Cardiff-born Hannah Graf and husband Jake welcomed baby Millie in April via surrogate, after Jake opted to freeze his eggs before transitioning.

The Channel 4 documentary 'Our Baby: A Modern Miracle' follows the highs and lows of the couple's parenthood journey, from their search for a surrogate through to the baby's birth at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hannah and Jake also shine a light on some of the challenges they faced as a transgender couple hoping to start a family.

At one point in the film, Hannah opens up about her desire to carry her own baby as a mother, but not being physically able to.

In another scene, the couple are confronted with unpleasant comments online relating to their intention to become parents.

Hannah and Jake say they hope the documentary will dispel some of the myths and prejudices about both surrogacy and transgender people.

"We would hope that people come away with a little more understanding of why surrogates want to help couples like us; that the audience see us as just another couple and realise that being transgender isn’t a reason to fear or hate us," they said.

"And for those couples who are still desperately trying to have their own child - to see that there is hope for everyone."

Hannah spoke to ITV Wales about filming the documentary.

"It was very intense," she said.

"Obviously, there are times when things get really stressful and you just want to pull away from it, because you don't want a camera there. But, of course, they're the moments that they need to capture in order to tell the story truthfully.

"We worked with a great team who really understood us and our journeys and what was important.

"I think together we made something that has hopefully impacted the nation a little bit, and they've seen transgender people in a new light and realised that we're just human beings and we have the same wants and needs as anyone else.

"The main thing our documentary will hopefully do is show that surrogacy isn't this seedy, underground thing, and actually it's a really lovely thing that benefits both parties."

The couple chose their surrogate Laura after several months of failing to 'click' with anyone.

Laura, from northern Ireland, first saw Hannah and Jake on the ITV show Lorraine - where they had spoken of their plans to find a surrogate. The three were brought together by the National Fertility Society, who guided them through their journey.

Hannah and Jake said they bonded with Laura immediately upon meeting, and that they "couldn't have asked for a better surrogate and friend."

Hannah Graf (née Winterbourne) came out as a transgender woman in 2013 and became one of the highest-ranking transgender soldiers within the British Army.

Jake, who is a television director and actor, transitioned in 2008.

The couple met in December 2015 and married in London in March 2018. They are now passionate advocates for the LGBTQ+ community.

In January, they appeared on ITV's Lorraine again, where they spoke about expecting their baby and described it as a "dream come true."

They are now settling into life as a family of three at their home in south London.

Watch 'Our Baby: A Modern Miracle' in full here.

Watch the trailer for 'Our Baby: A Modern Miracle' here.